Regretsy: Helen Killer’s Favorite Finds

Sometimes we can’t stop staring at horrible, ugly things. Enter Regretsy, a website that puts “the culture of fail” on display for those with the stomach to handle for-sale projects ranging from the hysterical to the horrific. April Winchell launched the site in October 2009 under the pseudonym Helen Killer, and its cult-like following has led to a hilarious book spin-off: Regretsy: Where DIY Meets WTF. To celebrate its release, we’ve asked Killer to provide a list of the most over-the-top moments found in the new tome. Count on being both traumatized and fascinated after the jump.

“I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw this. And then I saw the YouTube video of this thing in action, and it was all over. The double hummingbird feeder hat immediately rocketed to my top 5 finds, ever.”

“I asked this woman to create a piece to illustrate a chapter in the book, and she came back with a giant vagina stuffed with 15 pounds of catnip. She’s trying to get it into The Guinness Book of World Records. I think she has a real shot.”

“There’s a section in the book where sellers get to speak their minds about being on Regretsy, and how it’s affected them. The woman who made this poncho provided my favorite quote: ‘I haven’t been able to think about it much because my goat is expecting.'”

“I’ve got to tell you, I would have been impressed by someone who paints your wedding dress on a hanger. But a painting of your clothes being worn by an invisible presence, posing with your dogs on the beach, well, now you’re talking about an heirloom.”

“When I first posted this, I called it ‘Lady Caca.’ The seller was such a good sport that she now refers to them that way in her store. And she’s always coming up with new products. I was so taken by her presidential series that I commissioned her to make embroidered panty liner bookmarks that I give away at signings. Between you and me, I think it’s the real reason people buy the book.”